Growing a tropical oasis in your home is not only rewarding but also an adventure in itself- and it's that much more exciting when you grow your tropical garden from seed! It's like being a botanical explorer, discovering new species right in your own home. From the moment you plant the seeds, you'll be filled with anticipation as you watch these tiny wonders sprout and grow into magnificent plants.
If you particularly love plants with large, lush leaves, consider adding some of these plants to your garden:
1) monstera deliciosa aka the swiss cheese plant
The Monstera Deliciosa, also known as the Swiss Cheese Plant, has large, glossy leaves with unique holes that resemble slices of Swiss cheese. Its vibrant green color and unique foliage adds a pop of life to any room.
Monstera Deliciosa seeds also happen to be the most popular seeds in our shop, they're about intermediate difficulty to germinate(make sure to check out our their planting instructions here), and the seeds don't keep well, so if you got some seeds, make sure to plant them right away or store them in the fridge for 1-2 weeks! Once the seeds do sprout, they're relatively easy to care for and grow. It takes about 6 months - 1 year for the seedlings to produce their first iconic fenestrations, provided they have enough space and lighting to grow!
get monstera seeds here!2) philodendron selloum 'hope' aka the split-leaf philodendron
Often confused with the Monstera Deliciosa, Philodendron Selloum, or Philodendron Hope, has large, glossy leaves that are deeply lobed, giving it a tropical and exotic look. Plus, its leaves can grow up to three feet long, making it a real showstopper. It's because of these deeply lobed leaves that it's common nickname is the Split-Leaf Philodendron. Unlike the Monstera Deliciosa, it's leaves don't actually produce fenestrations, and the leaves are a bit longer and have more "frilly" edges.
Split Leaf Philodendron seeds are tricky to germinate, but sprout dependably in a good setup. We cover everything you need to know about growing these tropical beauties from seed in this post here.
grow these seeds!3) ficus altissima aka lofty fig
Ficus Altissima, also known as the Council Tree or the Council Rubber Tree, is a member of the Ficus family. The Ficus Altissima is a great alternative to the Fiddle Leaf Fig, which has quite a bit more attitude! Lofty Figs are a lot easier to care for, and bring just as much style to any home.
The Ficus Altissima has lush, green flat and tear drop-shaped leaves divided evenly by light veins, that have an overall very classy look!
Ficus seeds aren't the easiest to grow, but they're also not the most difficult, making them a great intermediate-level seed. The upside is once the seeds do sprout, care becomes easier with time.
Try them out!4) strelitzia aka bird of paradise
With their large, paddle-shaped leaves in shades of deep green, these plants are
a sight to behold. But that's not all! The real showstopper is their extraordinary flowers.
The flowers of the Strelitzia plant resemble a tropical bird in flight, with their striking orange and blue petals. It's like having a mini paradise right in your backyard! These flowers are not only visually stunning but also have an interesting structure. The orange petals form a beak-like shape, while the blue petals fan out like wings. It's no wonder they are called bird of paradise plants!
We have two Strelitzia varieties available in our shop: Strelitzia Reginae, which produce orange flowers and reach 3-4' in height, and Strelitzia Nicolai, which produce white flowers and grow as tall as trees!
The seeds for these plants are definitely advanced-level difficulty, requiring some seed prep, a great setup, and patience to grow- we cover growing them from seed in our other post here!.
bird of paradise seeds!5) coffea aka coffee plants
A vibrant, glossy-leaved plant with a touch of elegance. Coffee plants, scientifically known as Coffea, are a sight to behold. With their dark green foliage and delicate white flowers, they add a touch of natural beauty to any space. These plants can grow up to 6 feet tall, but don't worry, you can always prune them to keep them at a manageable height.
In addition to the regular Coffea Arabica seeds, we carry seeds for the Coffea Catura, or the Dwarf Coffee Plant.
grow your own coffee!6) fatsia japonica aka japanese aralia
A plant with large, glossy leaves that look like they belong in a tropical rainforest, Fatsia Japonica, also known as Japanese Aralia, are known as the pet-friendly alternative to the Monstera Deliciosa.
Their leaves don't produce fenestrations, but the leaves do grow very large and look somewhat like a many-pointed star.
Fatsia seeds are about intermediate-level difficulty to grow, requiring the correct setup which we cover in our post here, but the plants themselves are very low-maintenance and easy to care for. Don't get fooled by their slow initial growth! Once the seedlings put out their first couple of leaves, their growth speeds up considerably.
add japanese aralia to your garden!
